Page 17 of Space Oddities

“Itisyou!” the woman exclaims happily. “I thought you never came to town except for class?”

I wait for Trish to correct her, but she doesn’t. Instead, Trish slides her sunglasses back down and turns on her bench toward the woman, a large smile on her face. “Mandy, wow, what a surprise seeing you here.”

Wait, what? I glance between the two women.

“I know, right?” Mandy does the same, her eyes bouncing between Trish and me. “So,” she drawls out. “What are you up to?”

Trish takes a sip of her drink, avoiding eye contact. “I was, uh, just shopping in town.”

Mandy rocks back on her heels, shooting glances at me. I sigh, realizing Trish has no intention of introducing me.

Standing, I extend my hand. “Hello, Mandy. I’m Ian.”

Wide-eye, Mandy slips her hand into mine. “Hi.”

I wave to the table. “Please, have a seat.”

Trish purses her lips but says nothing.

“Thanks!” Mandy bounds around the table, sitting next to her friend.

I drop back down onto my bench. “Please, help yourself to anything you’d like.”

“Wow. So polite.” Her wide eyes blink rapidly for a moment. “I mean, uh, thanks, but my friends are coming.” She turns to Trish. “Some of the other girls from our class, actually.”

Trish pales.

“Class?” I ask.

“Yes, at U of H.”

Managing to hide my surprise at that statement, I look at Trish. “You take classes at University of Houston?”

Before Trish can answer, Mandy pipes up. “I know, right? Who would think a best-selling author needs to take creative writing classes?”

As “best-selling author” reverberates around my brain, Trish continues to sip on her drink.

Mandy glances around the lawn area at all the other food truck patrons. “How do you know our all-star pupil here?” She thumbs in Trish’s direction.

“Oh, well, I knowAudreyfrom our mutual friends. I didn’t know she was a star pupil though.”

Mandy slaps Trish on the shoulder. “Girl, why aren’t you bragging to everyone?” She leans toward me conspiratorially. “This girl here tells the mostamazingstories. I couldn’t believe that I didn’t realize who she was until halfway through the semester.”

“Yeah, I know the feeling.” I tilt my head at Trish, who pretends to take an interest in the guitarist singing on stage.

“It took me half the semester before I put two and two together.”

“I see.” I don’t see, not at all.

“She just introduced herself as Audrey on the first day of class. It wasn’t until we did narrative critiques and I saw her full name at the top of the page that I realized who I was in class with.”

“Mandy…” Trish tries to cut in, her tone pleading.

Mandy’s too engrossed in her story to notice. “I told my parents, who are always complaining about college bills, that it’s tuition money well spent if I get to have creative feedback on my stories from bestselling romance author Audrey Cole.”

Mandy waves at someone by the food trucks, but my eyes never leave Trish. Who is studiously looking down at her lap.

“Look who I found, guys,” Mandy calls to two girls with arms full of paper plates loaded with food truck treasure. “It’s Audrey!” Mandy jazz hands around Trish, who looks ready to sink under the table, but musters up a weak smile and a wave.

---